Peter Ström & His Sportster Chopper

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from one of our readers in Stockholm, Sweden named Peter Ström (one of the many perks of publishing an online motorcycle magazine). Peter told me about a bike he'd built for himself, as well as a custom trike he'd build for his wife. He also asked if I was interested in taking a look at a few photos, so I obviously jumped at the chance. I mean, how often do you get an opportunity to check out custom bikes from another country?

Peter was also nice enough to also send me several photos and information on his step-daughter’s bike, and a friend’s custom chopper. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by what I saw, and decided to feature Peter and his bike in this month’s issue. I also plan to publish photos and details on the other bikes he sent me in future issues.

According to Peter, he came up with the concept and design, and had Calles Chopperdelar Sweden build the frame to his specs. Peter’s friend Kenta with Ace Performance then helped him with the fabrication at his shop, where they worked together on the build.

One of the driving factors behind building the bike was Peter's desire to prove that he could build a good looking bike using a Sportster. He explained that although he caught a bunch of slack from his friends and others about using a Sportster to build his bike, when it was all said and done, it turned out great, and even handles better than most big twins.

Peter’s Sportster Chopper has been featured in several motorcycle magazines, and also took 1st place in both the 2010 and 2011 Easyrider Bike Shows in Sweden. When it comes to future builds, he said “I have thousands ideas for a new bike, but it will have to wait some time for finance. It’s probably going to be the same style as this bike, or maybe a Swedish-style chopper.”

Peter explained how he was inspired by builders such as Tom Foster and his 'Captain Insane,' as well as Jesse James and his 'El Diablo.' Peter also mentioned that the Hot Rod Culture was a big inspiration as well. Peter is especially fond of the MOON derby/point covers and the middle finger shift knob from Death Machine. He also commented on the “Hard Ass” seat, which was much more comfortable than he thought it would be. As far as handling goes, Peter said “The bike is great, a smooth to ride, easy to handle, fast, and very reliable.” So far, he’s put about 20000 km (about 12,500 miles) on the bike, which goes to prove that he built this bike to ride, and not just for show.

In fact, he loves riding the bike so much, that in during the summer of 2010 and 2011, they started their vacations by riding to a lovely island in Sweden called Gotland, which has long, white beaches and beautiful roads around the island. “After a great week in Gotland, we took the boat to the mainland and to the south of Sweden to meet some good friends on the west coast, in Borås. We went along the west coast to Halmstad, Varberg and to Båstad. During the ride across the country, we realized that Sweden is a very beautiful to ride the bikes in. We crossed the country once again and visited Kalmar and Öland on the east coast, and the beautiful castle of Borgholm; a very nice trip on very nice roads. We have been visiting several exhibitions such as MC dagarna in Västervik, Wheels in Barkarby, and we won some prizes for “The Most Outstanding Bike” with my wife’s Trike. On our vacation, we rode approximately 3000 km around our country. We also enjoy taking short rides to and around our capital; Stockholm, Sweden.”

Here is a link to Peter’s Facebook page if you’d like to correspond with him or ask him additional questions about this beautiful work of art.

Mike is the original founder of Cycle Connections Online Motorcycle Magazine and an avid motorcycle enthusiast. He has been riding for over 40 years, belongs to several local and national motorcycle organizations and travels to numerous rallies and events throughout the US each year. Mike has been a writer and editor for many years and has a passion for sharing his motorcycling experiences and stories with you. Contact Mike at mikes@cycleconnections.com